Heretofore, where baskets or trays having pivotally mounted handles or bails have had such bails collapsed inwardly to facilitate stacking of the baskets, the bails have generally been opened manually prior to the baskets being filled with bakery products. This bail opening step is time consuming and interruptive in the loading process.
Automatic means for opening side flaps on cardboard cases are known, but generally consist of a "plow" arrangement which a moving closed case engages, and which progressively raises the side flaps. Pivotally mounted hook members typically serve to open the trailing flap. Thereafter, the case is rotated 180.degree. and the former leading flap is now trailing and opened by a further hook member. Such side and trailing flag opening means are shown and described in Barker et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,187. Berney U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,898 discloses a hook means for opening a leading closed flap of a case.